Electric-lamp regulator.



c. c. OBERLY.

-ELECTRIC LAMP REGULATOR. APPUCATION man MAY 4. 1914.

1,134,346. Patentg d Apr. 6, 1915.v

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CHESTER. 0. 6131111171, or'vcnrcaeo, i LrNoIs, *sssrenon To THE runnnanfconrniw,

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To all whom it may] concern:

Be it known that LCHESTER C; OFSERLY, a citizen of the United States, reslding at.-

' Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of storage battery is,

possible Illinois, have invented certain new and 'use ful Improvements in Electric-Lamp Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric lamp regulators and refers particularly (although not exclusively) to regulators which are used in car lighting systems.

It is well known that in car lighting systems as usually employed the generator which is operated by the travel of the. car is used for operating the lamps whenever this generator at the same time serving to charge the storage battery. When the generator is not available for use on account of stoppage or slow speed of the car, the lights are supplied with current from the storage battery.

In connection with the lighting circuit acarbon pile resistance is ordinarily employed for the purpose of regulating andkeeping uniform the voltage of current which is supplied to the lamps. In connection with the use of the storage battery, this carbon pile resistance is particularly useful when the battery first begins to discharge after beingfully charged, inasmuch as at this time the voltage 'is somewhat higher than the normal voltage of the battery and the carbon pile resistance is necessary to cut down this excess voltage. The voltage of the generator used for the lighting system and for the charging of the I of course, considerably higher than the normal'voltage of the storage battery, and in order to compensate for this higher voltagewhen the lights are supplied with current direct from the genera-' tor, it is necessary that the carbon pile-resistance included in the circuit should offer more resistance than is the case when'the lights are supplied with current direct from the battery, in order to cut down the generator voltage to the, proper point for the lights.

It is the object of my invention to provide means by which the resistance offered by the carbon pile will be reduced to a minimum when the current for the lamps is supplied by the, battery, whereas when the amps are supplied with current from the Specification of Letters Patent;

Application filed May 4, 1914. Serial No. 836,111.

which engages vice 37, so that by movement cranklever 36, the pressure between the car bon disks of the resistancedevice 37 maybe Patented Apr. 6,' 1915.

generator the resistance-ofl'eredl by car.

bon pile will be 'immediatelyincreased in order to reduce the generator voltageto the proper point. I accomplish this result by varying the amount of current supplied to the solenoid, or other similar 'device, which operates the carbon pile, according to whether the current is being suppliedfrom the battery or from the generator. 3 1

These and other advantages of myinven- .tionand preferred means for accomplishing the results mentioned. above will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates. diagrammatically a car lighting system in which my invention. is employed.

The generator '10 isof the'usual shunt type, and has the field windingll-and the brushes 12 and 13. The conductor-14: leads from the brush12 to the automaticswitch, represented as a whole by- 15. :The conductor 14: is connected with-;the solenoid winding 16 of the switch 15, thiswinding'leading'to the switch terminal 17.1 The conductor 14 is also connected with an auxiliary solenoid winding 18of the automatic switch 15, this winding 18 'being connected with the conductor 19, which in turn is connected with the. conductor 20 leadingto" the brush 13. The conductor 20'alsoextends 'to orie pole 'of the storage 'battery21." "The c0nductor 22 leads'i'rOm' the, terminal-23 of the automatic switch vl5 to the one xarm of the switch 24 and the conductor 2 5 leads from the conductor 22 to thesecond pole of the storage" battery '21. --'The-"automatic switch 15 is providp'd iwith the sflenoid armature 26, to which is attached the switch member 27, adapted -to f orm conneetion-tbctween the switch terminals 17 M1623: The

conductor 28 leads rromthe switchmemher 27 to an intermediate{point"in the resistance coil 29. One end: of the resistance coil 29 is connected withfthe fsolenoid winding 30 by means of 'the; conductor 31, and the opposite end is connected with the conductor 32' by means of the conductor 33 The solenoid armature 34flw'ithinthe solenoid 'coil 30 isprovidedatits end'ivith the dash pot 35, and, has pivotally connected thereto the bell crank lever 36, one arm of the carbon pile resistance deof' the bell rib varied The conductor leads from con ductor to one end of the carbon pile resistance device 37, and the conductor 39 leads from the opposite end of this resistance device to one of the blades of the switch 24. The conductor 40 leads from the conductor to the solenoid winding 30. 'l he lamps 411 are connected in multiple between the conductors and 42, these conductors being brought into electrical connection with the conductors Q2 and 39 respectively by means of the switch 24.

Having thus described the various parts which are used in my invention, the operation of the same may readily be understood. -When the car in which my improved lighting system is employed is at rest or running at a slow speed, the lamps ell are supplied With'current from the storage battery 21 on closing of the switch 24. The circuit is as follows: Current passes from thepositive terminal of thebattery 21 through the conductors 20 and 38 to the carbon pilercsistance 37, then through the latter, next through the conductor 39 to the conductor then through the lamps 41 to the conductor 32, and then each. through the con. ductors and to the negative pole of the storage battery 2-1 At the same time there the following shunt circuit: Current from the conductor 39, through the ,ctor -10 to the solenoid winding 30, thence through the conductor 31 and resistance 29 to the conductor 33 to the conductor and completes the circuit "to the negati e pole of the battery 21 through the conductors 2:2 and 25. it will be evident that the higher the voltage 'of the current comin g from the storage battery 21, the greater will he the energization of the solenoid winding 30, with a result that the solenoid armature 3 L will be mo ed up, thereby de creasing the pressure between the disks of the carbon pile resistance 37 and increasing the resistance in the main circuit, in which said carl1on.1fiile'resistance is included.

When op 'ating the lights from the storbatteryi is very desirable that the resistance in themain circuit should be as low possible, in order to prevent current losses, and. for this reason the entire re sistance 29 included in the shunt circuit, so that the encrgization of the solenoid Winding may be comparatively slight, thereby causing the resistance to be slight in the carbon pile resistance 37.

After the car is started and attains the s ecd often to twelve miles an ;hour, the current generated in the auxiliary Winding 18 of the automatic switch 15 is suiiicient to close this switch. The circuit to hccomplish this result is as follows; From the brush 12 current pas .7 through the conductor 14 to the solenoid winding 18 and thence through the conductors and to the brush l3.

When the current is sufficiently strong,.as just pointed out, to close the automatic switch 15, the switch member 27 engages the switch terminals 17 and- 23 and current vpasse-s from the conductor 14 through the solenoid winding 16 (thereby still further through the conductors 25 and 20, thereby causing the battery to become charged. At the same time there is the following shunt circuit: Current from the switch member 27 passes through the conductor 28 to the resistance 29 and then through a portion of the latter and the conductor 31 to the solenoid Winding 30, and through the conductor to the conductor 39, thereby completing the shunt circuit. It will be evident that inasmuch as less of the resistance coil 29 is included in the shunt circuit used with the generator thanis included in the shunt circuitused'with the storage battery that the solenoid Winding 30 will be energized to a greater extent and will cause the bell crank lever 36 to decrease the pressure on the disks of the carbon pile resistance 37, thereby increasing the resistance in the main circuit from the generator with the result that the lamps 41 will be supplied with the proper voltage.

It will be apparent that through the instrumentality of my invention a simple and efficient means is. provided ,for regulating the voltage supplied to the lamps in such manner that when the storage battery is used as a source of supply the current losses from resistance are at the minimum,- While when the generator is used the resistance in the main circuit is automatically increased, not only by reason of the higher voltage of the generator, but also by means of including less resistance in the shunt circuit in which the solenoid is included.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes could be madein the detail construction of the various parts and their relation Without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In an electric lamp regulator, the combination of a variable resistance device adapted for connection in the lighting circuit, actuating means for varyin' the resistance ofsaid device, and means or selectively changing the action of said actuating means onchanging the source of current supplying said lighting circuit, whereby the resistance of said resistance device will be correspondingly changed, substantially as described. I

2. In an electric lamp regulator, the combination of a variable resistance device adapted for connection in the lighting circuit, a solenoid for changing the resistance of said resistance device, resistance means connected in circuit with said solenoid, and means for changing the resistance of said resistance means on changing the source of current supplying said lighting circuit, whereby the resistance of said resistance de vice will be correspondingly changed, substantially as described.

3. In an electric lamp regulator, the combination of a carbon pile resistance device adapted for connection in the lighting circuit, a solenoid adapted to change the pressure between the carbon units of said device,

resistance means included in circuit with device,

substantially as circuit, agenerator adapted for connection in said circuit, a storage battery in said circuit, a solenoid for controlling the pressure between the carbon units of said resistance resistance means connected in circuit with said solenoid, said solenoid and resistance means being in shunt with said lighting circuit, and means for changing the resistance of said resistance means on changing the source of current from said battery to said generator or vice versa, substantially as described.

5. In an electric lamp regulator, the combination of a carbon pile resistance device adapted for connection in the lighting circuit, a generator adapted for connection in said circuit, a storage battery in said circuit, a solenoid for controlling the pressure between the carbon units of said resistance device, a resistance coil included in circuit with said solenoid, said solenoid and resistance coil being in shunt with said lighting circuit, and means for cutting out a portion of said resistance means when said generator 1s lncluded in said lighting circuit,

thereby increasing the actuation of said solenoid and decreasing the pressure between the carbon units of said resistance device,

described.

i CHESTER C. OBERLY.

Witnesses:

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